Traditionally, personal computers have been implemented as hard-coded combinations of operating systems, applications, and user settings, which are managed individually by owners or administrators on an ongoing basis. However, many organizations are now using desktop virtualization to provide a more flexible option to address the varying needs of their users. In desktop virtualization, a user's computing environment (e.g., operating system, applications, and/or user settings) may be separated from the user's physical computing device (e.g., smartphone, laptop, desktop computer). Thus, using client-server technology, a “virtualized desktop” may be stored in a remote central server, rather than in the local storage of the client computing device.
There are several different types of desktop virtualization systems. As an example, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) refers to the process of running a user desktop inside a virtual machine that resides on a server. VDI and other server-based desktop virtualization systems may provide personalized desktops for each user, while allowing for centralized management and security. Servers in such systems may include storage for virtual desktop images and system configuration information, as well as software components to provide the virtual desktops and allow users to interconnect to them. For example, a VDI server may include one or more hypervisors to create and maintain multiple virtual machines, software to manage the hypervisor(s), a connection broker, and software to provision and manage the virtual desktops.